WCCHS implemented new lunchroom procedures after Thanksgiving break, organized by the dean’s office, due to crowd safety concerns in the kitchen.
When overcrowding became an issue in the lunch line, high school administrators thought that a new system of managing the lines should be put in place. As Director of Deans Veronica Jimenez Winton explained, when the entire lunch hour arrives in Commons and heads to the lines in the kitchen, the overfilled room has only proved to be an inefficient manner of serving food.
She expressed concern about students’ safety in the tightly-packed room where food can be ordered; the area is difficult to navigate without established lines or a sense of direction for those buying food.
“Overcrowding in a small space is a big safety concern for me. Students packed in a tight space is not safe. Getting food and sitting back down to eat was taking a long time in bigger lunches with so much chaos in the kitchen area,” Jimenez Winton said.
As of late, there has been a history of theft.
“Students would get impatient and walk out with food without paying,” Jimenez Winton said.
The solution: create two lines outside of the kitchen, allowing only as many students to enter as there are exiting, with about 25 students getting the opportunity to purchase their lunch at a time. Specific doorways have been designated as exits as well.
“I wish they would just add security in the lunch room instead of lines, but keep the two exits because it gets very clustered. And it takes a long time to wait in line, so I wish they just kept maybe a security guard in there to keep look out,” said junior Ava Pietanza.
Students questioned whether the change would affect behavior in the long-term.
“I just think it’s not gonna last. All it’s gonna do is make the rule breakers sneakier,” said sophomore Ava Blonairz.
However, the administration has already assessed the situation using timers, and believes the fix has been beneficial so far, leading to students getting to their seats quicker, less crowding, and less theft.
That said, administrators remain open to other solutions.
“I am always flexible and looking to improve things regarding student safety, so this will stay for as long as necessary,” Jimenez Winton said.
